A spoiler is a bodywork part designed to improve the aerodynamics of the vehicle to which this part is fastened. Spoilers are also used for aesthetic aspects of the vehicle. The rear spoiler is fastened to the rear of the vehicle. It is therefore a bodywork part located between the roof and the rear window.
The spoiler can be fastened, for example, to the upper part of the tailgate, at the back of the vehicle just above the upper edge of the rear window.
The rear window is assembled on the tailgate (or the roof) by a bonding operation which both fastens the rear window and provides a seal. To preserve the integrity of the adhesive seal, generally deposited as a continuous bead, the rear window must be approached and positioned and the adhesive pressed by an incident path almost perpendicular to the bonding track: in view of this assembly constraint, the approach path used to bring the rear window into position must not interfere with the spoiler. The spoiler must therefore be removed before positioning the rear window. However, this is undesirable since it involves an additional assembly and disassembly operation, and this is even impossible when the spoiler is integrated with the tailgate (the term “integrated with” means that the spoiler is molded with this part during manufacture) or undetachably fastened to the tailgate (or the roof or the body).
Alternatively, a spoiler which is short enough to allow the rear window to be positioned as described above can be used. However, this has the disadvantage of limiting the possible geometries of the spoiler. An additional disadvantage of such spoilers is that the upper edge of the rear window remains visible, which is detrimental in terms of appearance and therefore the quality perceived by a potential user.